Running-specific exercises help you strengthen weak or under-recruited muscles, prevent you from suffering the usual assortment of injuries that plague runners and improve your running mechanics by restoring your ankle flexibility and retraining your gait. Running-specific exercises -- including the foot extensor stretch, ankle circles and point flexes, and barefoot running -- are intended to keep you fit and healthy and running pain free. Both preventive and therapeutic, these exercises are appropriate for all categories of runner, from beginners to seasoned marathoners.
Toe Extensor Stretch
Most running shoes have built-in toe-spring -- the industry standard is about 15 degrees -- which purportedly creates a rocker effect advantageous for forward propulsion. Portland, Oregon-based sports podiatrist Dr. Ray McClanahan contends that toe-spring is an unnecessary and detrimental feature of running shoes that causes the long extensor muscles of your toes to become chronically tight. The toe extensor stretch is designed to reduce the tightness of these muscles by stretching your toes into plantar flexion at the metatarsal phalangeal (MTP) joints. Perform this stretch by sitting on a chair or stool, extending one leg back behind your body and placing the top of your toes on the floor. Your toes all should be bent at the point where they meet the ball of your foot. Slowly push your ankle forward to exert a gentle stretch on your toe extensor muscles. You should feel the stretch on the front of your lower leg and on the top of your ankle and foot. Hold this stretch for 30 seconds to one minute, then repeat on the opposite side. You can do this stretch during meals, stretching both feet at the same time.
Foot Rotations and Point Flexes
In his book "Pain Free: A Revolutionary Method for Stopping Chronic Pain," anatomical physiologist Pete Egoscue recommends performing foot rotations and point flexes to "restore ankle flexibility and strengthen the flexion and extension muscles." Perform these exercises by lying on your back with one of your legs extended flat on the floor and your other leg other bent and drawn back toward your chest. Using both hands, grab the back of your bent knee and circle your foot 30 times in a clockwise direction, making sure that your knee remains perfectly still. Your opposite foot remains on the floor, toes pointed up at the ceiling. Reverse the direction of your foot circles and perform 30 repetitions; then switch legs and repeat. For your point flexes, remain in the same position on the floor, with one of your legs extended and your other leg other bent toward your chest. Keeping your knee perfectly still, draw your toes back toward your chest, then reverse direction and point your toes and foot away from your body. Perform 20 point flexes before switching legs and repeating this exercise.
Barefoot Running
Since the publication of Chris McDougall's runaway bestseller "Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen," the concept of barefoot running -- or running in minimalist footwear such as the Vibram FiveFingers -- has been gaining popularity, notes Matt Fitzgerald in a Feb. 10, 2010, article on Running.Competitor.com. Early proponents of barefoot running lauded its ability to protect the body from common running-related injuries, such as shin splints, ankle sprains and achilles tendonitis. Recent evidence suggests that performing at least a portion of your weekly mileage in bare feet may indeed be beneficial for your foot health. A study by Michael Warburton published in the peer-reviewed journal "Sportscience" suggests that barefoot running is associated with "a substantially lower prevalence of acute injuries of the ankle and chronic injuries of the lower leg in developing countries." If you're thinking about introducing barefoot running into your training regimen, allow your feet to gradually toughen up by running or hiking on forgiving surfaces, such as grass or beach sand, in progressively longer bouts, starting with no more than five minutes of barefoot activity.
Toe Extensor Stretch
Most running shoes have built-in toe-spring -- the industry standard is about 15 degrees -- which purportedly creates a rocker effect advantageous for forward propulsion. Portland, Oregon-based sports podiatrist Dr. Ray McClanahan contends that toe-spring is an unnecessary and detrimental feature of running shoes that causes the long extensor muscles of your toes to become chronically tight. The toe extensor stretch is designed to reduce the tightness of these muscles by stretching your toes into plantar flexion at the metatarsal phalangeal (MTP) joints. Perform this stretch by sitting on a chair or stool, extending one leg back behind your body and placing the top of your toes on the floor. Your toes all should be bent at the point where they meet the ball of your foot. Slowly push your ankle forward to exert a gentle stretch on your toe extensor muscles. You should feel the stretch on the front of your lower leg and on the top of your ankle and foot. Hold this stretch for 30 seconds to one minute, then repeat on the opposite side. You can do this stretch during meals, stretching both feet at the same time.
Foot Rotations and Point Flexes
In his book "Pain Free: A Revolutionary Method for Stopping Chronic Pain," anatomical physiologist Pete Egoscue recommends performing foot rotations and point flexes to "restore ankle flexibility and strengthen the flexion and extension muscles." Perform these exercises by lying on your back with one of your legs extended flat on the floor and your other leg other bent and drawn back toward your chest. Using both hands, grab the back of your bent knee and circle your foot 30 times in a clockwise direction, making sure that your knee remains perfectly still. Your opposite foot remains on the floor, toes pointed up at the ceiling. Reverse the direction of your foot circles and perform 30 repetitions; then switch legs and repeat. For your point flexes, remain in the same position on the floor, with one of your legs extended and your other leg other bent toward your chest. Keeping your knee perfectly still, draw your toes back toward your chest, then reverse direction and point your toes and foot away from your body. Perform 20 point flexes before switching legs and repeating this exercise.
Barefoot Running
Since the publication of Chris McDougall's runaway bestseller "Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen," the concept of barefoot running -- or running in minimalist footwear such as the Vibram FiveFingers -- has been gaining popularity, notes Matt Fitzgerald in a Feb. 10, 2010, article on Running.Competitor.com. Early proponents of barefoot running lauded its ability to protect the body from common running-related injuries, such as shin splints, ankle sprains and achilles tendonitis. Recent evidence suggests that performing at least a portion of your weekly mileage in bare feet may indeed be beneficial for your foot health. A study by Michael Warburton published in the peer-reviewed journal "Sportscience" suggests that barefoot running is associated with "a substantially lower prevalence of acute injuries of the ankle and chronic injuries of the lower leg in developing countries." If you're thinking about introducing barefoot running into your training regimen, allow your feet to gradually toughen up by running or hiking on forgiving surfaces, such as grass or beach sand, in progressively longer bouts, starting with no more than five minutes of barefoot activity.
